Herrington, Emily
(2019)
Enhancement of “Quality of Life” As a Justification for Hand Transplantation: A Review and Critique of the Bioethics Literature After 20 Years of Experience.
Master's Thesis, University of Pittsburgh.
(Unpublished)
Abstract
The initial and most widely referenced arguments for the ethical permissibility of hand transplantation (HTX) cite the bioethical principles of autonomy and beneficence to claim that, despite significant drawbacks of immunosuppression and surgery, HTX has the potential to enhance the lives of patients who fit appropriate criteria and are well-supported. However, the question of whether current cases of HTX can be described as having “enhanced life” has not been answered with attempts to assess patients’ experiences comprehensively (integrating quantitative, qualitative, and narrative research tools). This master’s thesis provides an overview of “quality-of-life” oriented arguments in the literature on hand transplant ethics, focusing on how authors structure the permissibility of HTX in the absence of robust outcomes data, and criticizes this literature for its lack of empirical data reflecting HTX patients’ perspectives.
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Details
| Item Type: |
University of Pittsburgh ETD
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| Status: |
Unpublished |
| Creators/Authors: |
|
| ETD Committee: |
| Title | Member | Email Address | Pitt Username | ORCID |
|---|
| Committee Chair | Parker, Lisa | Lisap@pitt.edu | | | | Committee Member | Soodalter, Jesse | | | | | Committee Member | Breidenbach, Warren | | | |
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| Date: |
26 September 2019 |
| Date Type: |
Publication |
| Defense Date: |
30 March 2019 |
| Approval Date: |
26 September 2019 |
| Submission Date: |
21 September 2019 |
| Access Restriction: |
No restriction; Release the ETD for access worldwide immediately. |
| Number of Pages: |
34 |
| Institution: |
University of Pittsburgh |
| Schools and Programs: |
Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences > Bioethics |
| Degree: |
MA - Master of Arts |
| Thesis Type: |
Master's Thesis |
| Refereed: |
Yes |
| Uncontrolled Keywords: |
Bioethics; Hand Transplantation; Vascularized Composite Allotransplantation; Quality of life; Person-centered healthcare; Feminist bioethics; |
| Related URLs: |
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| Date Deposited: |
26 Sep 2019 14:32 |
| Last Modified: |
26 Sep 2019 14:32 |
| URI: |
http://d-scholarship.pitt.edu/id/eprint/36942 |
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